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v BY A A 770/7 Y S UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

EVER PETERSON, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

CURRENT-WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,852, dated March 12, 1901.

Application led August 22, 1900. Serial No. 27,716. (No model.)

To aj/Z whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, EVER PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented a new and Improved Ourrent-Wheel, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to power-wheels designed to be operated by water-currents; and the object is to provide a wheel of this character of simple construction and comparatively light and adapted to be supported by a float in the water.

I will describe a current-wheel embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in. the appended claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formnga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi.- cate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a currentwheel embodying my invention. 2 is a front end View thereof, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a shaft, supported at one end in a boxing 2, attached to a hanger 3, depending from a oat 4. The forward end of the shaft 1 rotates in a tapered casing 5, supported from the float 4 by means of hangers 6 and braces 7. The shaft 1 has a conical or tapered end 8, which practically forms a continuation of the taper of the casing 5. Attached rigidly to the shaft at the larger end of the casing 5 is a tapered shell 9, the taper of which corresponds to that of the casing 5. Therefore by the tapers of the parts 5, 8, and 9 a practicallycontinuous conical casing isprovided to direct water to the blades 10, attached to the shell 9, and by this practically continuoustaper the water is deflected with considerable force over the surfaces of the blades. The several blades 10 stand at a transverse angle to the axis of the shaft, and they are secured to the shell 9 by means of spokes 11, which pass through the wall of said shell and are secured at their inner ends by means of bolts 12 to blocks 13, attached to the opposite ends of the shell.

Power is transmitted from the shaft 1 to the machine or device tov be driven by means of a sprocket chain 14, engaging with a sprocket-wheel 15, attached to the shaft between the blade-carrying shell 9 and the bearing 2.

In operation the current-wheel of course will be pointed upstream, and as the current strikes the taper it will be divided and thrown out to strike the several blades 10 simultaneously, and thus the eddies of the stream will be overcome, and therefore great power will be derived from the wheel. Preferably the blades 10 will be made narrower at the forward ends than at the rear ends.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A current-wheel, comprising a supportingshaft, a shell attached to said shaft, spokes passing through the wall of said shell and secured at their ends to the ends of said shell, blades attached to the spokes, and a tapered casing forward of the shell, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EVER PETERSON.

Witnesses:

M. H. WHITE, M. B. CONNELLY. 

